by Alice-Ginevra Micheli, Contributing Writer
We all have that feeling. You know the one: you finish watching a movie and something about it hits you in just the right spot. Whether it was the theme, the story, or even the characters, there was a quality about it that almost makes you want to turn around and go back a second, third, or even fourth time!
Bar the reality of living in the movie theater for the rest of your days, you turn to the rest of pop culture and start to look for other avenues where you can find that same feeling.
Well I’m here to make this plight easier for all. Each month, I take a piece of pop culture that was prevalent in the social consciousness — whether it is a movie, TV show, or something else — and then recommend other forms of media for those who want to stay in that world a little bit longer.
Welcome to your One Stop Pop, internet!
April was certainly a packed month, one packed with many a strange, weird, and wonderful collection of films that have already entered our wider consciousness. There were many to choose from, but I thought, let’s go after the one that diverged audiences the most shall we?
The Northman is the latest in Robert Eggers’ violent, historical epics that aim to challenge their audience with brutal reality. Some people hated it, but more people loved it, and that’s exactly why this dirty, loud, gritty Norse revenge tale is the one I’ll be breaking down in recommendations today.
TV Show: Vikings
Okay, let’s get the obvious our of the way first. This is a movie about Vikings in Norse history. It’s based on a story from legend. If you walked out of this movie theater, and your thought was, “I wish I could see more of exactly that kind of thing,” then there’s really no where else to turn.
Begun in 2013 with Vikings, and continued with the spin-off series Vikings: Valhalla this year, the shows begin by focusing on Ragnar Lothbrok, a farmer who rises up to become a fearless warrior and commander of the Viking tribes with the support of his equally ferocious family.
Just like The Northman, this series is violent, brutal, and chock-full of historical goodies for the nerd in all of us. On top of all of that, it hosts another of the Skarsgård clan, this time Gustaf as the boat builder and incorrigible trickster, Floki.
With amazing character development, storytelling, and the legendary Viking history as its backdrop, this is the show for anyone who wants to continue in an almost identical vein as that presented in Eggers newest movie.
Experience your violent delights through Vikings, which is currently streaming on Prime Video, and Vikings: Valhalla which can be found on Netflix.
Video Game: Dishonored
Getting a bit less obvious, and a bit more tangential, lets make our way over into the video game category of the month with the Arkane Studios action-adventure game: Dishonored.
Before we get into it, you might ask how this relates to the very historically set piece of The Northman. Well that, my friends, lies in the themes. Some of you might have been able to pick up the not-so-coincidental connection to a certain Shakespearean play, Hamlet. Even through the name of our main character, Amleth, who’s nomenclature bears a striking similarity to the titular character of the bard’s tale. After some initial research, this similarity lies in the fact that once again, ol’ mate Shakespeare plucked his inspiration from ancient legend, whereby his famous tale is actually based on Amleth’s original Nordic tragedy.
All that aside, the connection to Shakespeare plays, as well as the connection to the idea of revenge, is one that lives in many mediums to this day. One such example is in this series of games, whose brutal origins can be found in stories such as Hamlet, Othello, and Titus Andronicus.
In the first game you begin by playing Corvo — quite literally meaning “crow” — who is a man consumed by vengeance. Framed for the brutal murder of his beloved wife, Corvo decides to walk down the cold path of revenge, ensuring that those who are responsible, meet twisted and dark ends, specifically tailored to each of them.
What was once a single story is now an incredibly successful series that promises vigorous violence and captivating storytelling. Not to mention its characters, albeit dark, and desecrated, and as equally as compelling to play in, and around.
Available to play on Xbox One, PlayStation, and PC, this is a game that will put you smack bang in the middle of the action, and then some.
Book: The Magnus Chase Trilogy by Rick Riordan
I know, I know, every chance I get, I seem to be bringing up the wide universe that was brought to us by Riordan across many mythologies — and really, how could I resist? If what you really enjoyed in this movie was the exploration into such mythology and “the other,” then how can I steer you otherwise?
Focusing on Percy Jackson alum Daughter of Athena Annabeth Chase’s cousin, Magnus, this trilogy actually begins at his end. That is to say that in the very first chapter, the main character dies. That’s 100% true; he is dead, beyond this world, and into the other — however that’s only the beginning of his story.
We then follow Magnus Chase as he is thrust into the champion-filled world of Valhalla, the battle rooms of the Nordic people, as they prepare for the end of the world — Ragnarok — and the fight of their afterlives.
This series has such a great rhythm to its entire story. The characters are lovable, yet extremely interesting, the legends are expertly folded in amongst its more modern storyline, and its adventure is exciting to say the least.
You don’t have to have read all that came before it to get started, although just like the MCU, there is a certain completionist satisfaction you’re guaranteed to have if you have done your Riordanverse homework.
If you’d like to get started, check out Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer at your local bookshop or library.
Music: The Sound of Throat Singing, Spotify Playlist
Saying the soundtrack and score composition of The Northman was unique is an understatement. The musical accompaniment was appropriately designed to evoke uneasy feelings from the audience, similar to those that were constantly being experienced by our characters.
A major part of creating this gravitas-forward sound was through the incorporation of throat singing, something that is both used as an underlying thread, as well as overtly being performed by characters on screen. So this sound might have hit you in the right spot. You might have found it evocative, alluring, and enduring, and have wanted to hear more — to really seep your mind into this type of music.
If that is you, then I direct you to a ready-made playlist by Spotify entitled, “The Sound of Throat Singing.” Nine hours and 25 minutes long, you’re sure to have everything you need for that afternoon of exploration that you’ve been looking for.
A combination of a variety of different artists, cultures, and beats, this is the crash course into the guttural melody that perfectly mettles within the nodes of The Northman’s beats.
If you’re wanting to try this out, go check out the playlist on Spotify today!
This month has certainly found variety knocking at our doorstep. From alternative sound, to influenced gaming, there’s sure to be something that hits the right spot for everyone when it comes to suggestions surrounding The Northman.
I shall return in nigh 30 days with another column recommending lots based on what blows our minds up this month! We’re in early days yet — so we shall have to wait and see.
Until then, thank you for visiting SiftPop’s One Stop Pop; we hope to see you again soon!
You can follow Alice-Ginevra Micheli on Instagram and Letterboxd